Abstract: A simple and inexpensive device for measuring radial expansion of tube-like structures which is particularly useful to measure male potency. A radially expansible loop comprising a flexible, relatively slippery tube made from a material such as paper or a thermoplastic film having an elongated tail of the same or different material extending therefrom is drawn tight around the flaccid penis, by means of draw means at the end of the tail, and held in place by an adhesive patch. Should an erection occur the tail slides partially out of the tube to accommodate the radial expansion which occurs and remains in the extended position until manually retracted by pulling the draw means at the end of the tail. The radial expansion can be assessed by measuring the extension of the tail exposed.

Abstract: A wheelchair and occupant restraint system for use in a vehicle in which a pair of brackets are mounted on spaced apart frame members of the wheel chair. One end of each of a pair of flexible straps are secured to an anchor on the floor of the vehicle and the other end of each strap is releasably secured to one of the brackets. One end of each of a second pair of straps is secured to a respective bracket and the second pair of straps is arranged to releasably secure the occupant in the chair. The straps and brackets are so arranged that forces applied to the second pair of straps are transmitted directly to the floor anchors via the first pair of straps.

Abstract: A portable hand carryable device for threshing a sample of grain and separating the kernels of grain from the chaff which inclues two separate chambers one having a beater therein for threshing the grain and the other a fan for causing air to flow through an open ended column. The beater and fan are driven preferably by a 12 volt electric motor. Each chamber has an inlet thereto and an outlet therefrom, said outlets being connected by suitable conduit means to the air column between the opposite open ends thereof. During operation the column slopes upwardly from one end to the other and air flow from the fan is directed so as to flow in a direction from the lower to the upper end of the column past a passage connecting the outlet of the beater chamber to such column. The beater is preferably a two prong rotor circumscribed by a cylindrical in form foraminous wall made of expanded metal lath.

Abstract: A self contained fountain in the form of an antique hand pump on a stand. A motor in the pump body oscillates the pump handle up and down and this movement alternately actuates and deactuates a submerged electric pump in the fountain reservoir so that water is pumped from the pump spout in timed relation to the movement of the pump handle. The water drains from the receiving container back to the reservoir concealed in the pump stand.

Abstract: A mobile tree processor of the type having a boom reciprocally mounted in a box section and stripper type delimber means associated therewith and means mounting the boom on the vehicle whereby the boom can be raised and lowered while it remains horizontal to respective operative and transport positions. The box section of the boom is pivotally connected to a lever and associated with such pivotal connection is a lock means preventing pivotal movement of the boom thereon when the boom is in its raised position.

Abstract: An electro-slag welding method and apparatus has been developed for butt-joint welding of steel rails or other metallic pieces having irregular cross section, in which the head and the web of the rail is surrounded with a conventional water cooled copper mold and the flange area is surrounded by a ceramic lined crucible. In addition to the conventional single central welding electrode, two or more electrodes are inserted through the lids of the ceramic crucible adjacent the outer ends of the rail flange so as to reduce the total welding current required to produce a complete flange weld and spread the welding energy, thereby reducing excess power and overheating at the central electrode, resulting in better metallurgical quality welds.

Abstract: A cast iron alloy composition comprising 2.5-3.5% carbon, 0.5-1.0% manganese, 0.25-1.5% silicon, 13-19% chromium, 0.8-3.0% nickel, balance essentially iron which is machinable in the annealed condition and abrasion resistant in the hardened condition. The alloy may be annealed by furnace cooling, at a rate between 100.degree. C. and 350.degree. C./hr., from the austenitizing temperature, and hardened by air cooling from the austenitizing temperature.

Abstract: A scaffolding generally of the type for use in placing siding on a vertical wall of a house wherein the scaffolding has two posts disposed vertically and supported at the lower end by a support structure offset from the post in a direction away from the house and having legs offset from one another in a direction parallel to the wall of the house.

Abstract: A process for preparing compounds of the formula ##STR1## in which R is hydrogen or methoxy,R.sub.1 is a hydroxyl group,R.sub.2 is chlorine, bromine, OAc or SHET,R.sub.3 is hydrogen or a cleavable carboxy-protecting group preferably selected from loweralkyl, benzyl, benzhydryl, loweralkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxybenzyl, phenacyl, trimethylsilyl, 2,2,2-trichloroethyl or pivaloloxy,R.sub.4 is hydrogen or a cleavable amino-protecting acyl group, or R.sub.4 NH represents phthalimido, andHET is a five or six membered aromatic heterocycle containing 1-4 heteroatoms and optionally substituted with loweralkyl,and from which the corresponding 1-oxacephem derivatives can be prepared is described. The novel intermediate compounds of the formula 1 are produced from a penicillin derivative of formula 1 wherein R, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are as above described and R.sub.1 and R.sub.

Abstract: A special form of fluid cyclone in which the velocity energy in the exit fluid is converted into exit pressure thus permitting the device to discharge to atmospheric pressure or a higher pressure while a vacuum may exit in the central core of the vortex. The result is achieved by use of a curved passage at the exit which starts as a coaxial space and gradually expands and turns outward to become a circular space between two disks. The removal of reject material to atmospheric pressure with a vacuum at the core may be achieved by limiting the restriction in cross-section of the bottom core such that the pressure is atmospheric and allow it to leave through a space between the end of the cone and a blunt shaped surface.

Abstract: An abrasion resistant heat treated austenitic manganese steel containing about 1% carbon, 13% manganese and 1.2-2.0% vanadium. The steels are heat treated so as to disperse austenitic grain boundary vanadium carbides uniformly throughout the matrix.

Abstract: An improved display sign of the type in which interchangeable indicia can be mounted on both sides, and comprising a plurality of aluminum slats surrounded by an extruded aluminum frame. Each longitudinal edge of each slat is provided with a longitudinally extending hook to interlock with a similar hook on the next slat or, in the case of the top and bottom slats, with a projection integrally formed in a recess in the frame member. The slats are locked into the top and bottom frame members by means of a removable rod extending longitudinally thereof in a complementary shaped channel in the recess in the frame member.

Abstract: A motorized track car with a wheeled lower portion for rolling along a railroad track, and a platform carried by the wheeled lower portion. The platform has seating accommodation for one or more persons with the propulsion means for the vehicle disposed below the platform. The propulsion means consists of an internal combustion engine drivingly connected to hydraulic pump means providing fluid pressure for hydraulic motors drivingly associated with wheels of the car. There is control valve means operable by a person seated on the platform to control flow of hydraulic fluid for the pump and motor to vary the speed of travel of the vehicle from zero to maximum in each of forward and backward directions of travel. There is brake means operatively associated with at least one wheel of the track car and operable from the platform and, preferably, by a single lever control which also operates the control valve means.

Abstract: A wheel chair propulsion device particularly for use by quadriplegics that includes an annular ring smaller in diameter than the large wheel of a conventional wheel chair and having a plurality of spaced apart recesses in a surface thereof. The ring is fastened to the wheel of the wheel chair in co-axial relation therewith and spaced outward therefrom. A lever is pivotally mounted on the wheel chair axle and an opposite end of the lever projects above the conventional arm rest on the wheel chair. A drive mechanism is mounted on the lever arm and positively engageable with the annular ring for rotating the same and disengageable therefrom to allow free rotation of the wheel. The drive mechanism comprises a lug movable into and out of the recesses in the ring in response to movement of the lever in a direction transverse to the plane of the wheel and resilient compressible means which is compressed by movement of the lever in a direction to move the lug into a recess in the ring.

Abstract: A relatively inexpensive solution for the single step preservation of fresh naturally colored blooms, comprising (in amounts per liter)600-700 ml tert-butyl alcohol200-250 ml 2-propanol3-30 g thiourea3-30 g citric acid3-30 g sodium citrate50-150 ml propionic acid0-250 ml phenol.

Abstract: A process for preserving green colored plant tissues while retaining the natural green color thereof, in which the tissues are immersed in a relatively inexpensive solution comprising up to about 90% water, at least one monohydric alcohol, at least one preservative component such as sulphurous acid, and sufficient buffering and mordant reagents such as citric acid and cupric salts such as cupric chloride and cupric sulphate, to control the pH and osmolality of the solution and so as to permanently retain the natural green color in the tissues.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring torque (or functions derived therefrom or related thereto) transmitted by a shaft driven to rotate and connected to a load. The apparatus includes first and second optically flat, radiation reflecting, surfaces located on the shaft at respective first and second positions displaced from one another axially along the shaft and means for directing beams of radiation from a suitable source at the reflecting surfaces. There are first and second pick-up means spaced from the shaft and located to receive the radiation beams reflected by the respective first and second reflecting surfaces during rotation of the shaft and provide respective first and second outputs as a result of the radiation beams directed thereat by the reflecting surfaces. Signal processing circuit means associated with the first and second outputs provides an output interrelated with angular twist of the shaft at one of said first and second positions relative to the other.

Abstract: A process for the safe and efficient disposal of toxic chlorinated hydrocarbon waste materials in which the chlorinated hydrocarbon is brought into close surface contact with a finely divided para- or ferromagnetic material, such as a fluidized bed of iron powder, in the presence of high intensity microwave radiation, so as to effect an electron transfer reaction which yields chloride anions, which subsequently react with the iron to form ferrous chloride, and an organic radical which is readily oxidized, in the presence of gaseous oxygen, to carbon dioxide and water.

Abstract: An electro-mechanical controller for a fraction collector for a liquid chromatograph in which a conventional strip chart recorder pan holder guide rail is provided with a slider which is pulled along by a contact bar mounted on the pen holder or pushed by the pen holder depending on the direction of travel. The L-bar and pen holder are electrically interconnected to sense the travel of the pen holder and generate an output signal which triggers a timer, the output signal of which fires a one-shot integrated circuit the output signal of which in turn fires a free running timer and time delay circuit to permit time for the solution of the detected peak to travel from the detector to the fraction collector. The output signal from the free running timer and time delay triggers a one-shot IC the output signal of which is fed to an event marker and an integrated circuit inverter controlling the movement of the fraction collector device.

Abstract: Spectacle frames having a groove in the nose pads remote from the nose contacting surface portion thereof and grooves in the frame adjacent respective ones of the hinge connections of the legs to the frame for receiving respective ones of a pair of resiliently flexible, colored transparent plates behind the normal lenses of the spectacles.